[uucdigest] Tuesday, March 11 2003 Volume 03 : Number 6205
_________________________________________________________________ | | Search the ARCHIVES: | http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED] | | Visit Richard Nott's Ultimate BMW Database: | http://www.bmwdatabase.com | | For all available Digest commands including unsubscribe/subscribe, | visit the BMW UUC Digest page: http://www.uucdigest.com | | Send SUBMISSIONS to [EMAIL PROTECTED] | Complaints? Send 'em to [EMAIL PROTECTED] if you must. | Technical Problems? Send 'em to [EMAIL PROTECTED] |__________________________________________________________________ In this BMW UUC Digest: Re: [uuc] Timing Belt and Water Pump [uuc] Automanual [uuc] '95 M3 Engine Noise RE: [uuc] Automanual Re: [uuc] Automanual Re: [uuc] Automanual Re: [uuc] '95 M3 Engine Noise [uuc] <e34 535i> Symptoms of a partially obstructed catalytic converter? RE: [uuc] Automanual ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 11 Mar 2003 07:17:44 -0800 From: "Bora Akyol (BMW)" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [uuc] Timing Belt and Water Pump On 3/11/03 6:45 AM, "Joseph T. Baptista Jr." <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Is it recommended for the timing belt and water pump in a 1996 328i (E36) to > be replaced? If so, when is it recommended? > > I have 96K miles on a recently purchased E36, is there anything else that I > should consider replacing? > > Thanks in advance > > Joe > I did not think the E36 had timing belts (at least my M3 did not). But yes it is recommended to change the water pump at your mileage if it has not been done before. Bora ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 11 Mar 2003 09:57:59 -0600 From: "Brian Collins" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] Automanual Maybe Mike would have preferred Automanual to be Hyphenated? "Auto-manual"? .....This concept has been around for quite a while, but many of you may not be old enough to remember it. Actually, when placing an online local newspaper ad a few days prior, when making the year make and model selections, the choices for 1995 BMW M3 Transmissions were either manual or "Automanual" (with no LOL foot note), so, I made the mental note that that must it be an accepted term as I have now seen that reference 3 or 4 other times on similarly equipped selectable mode (Economy, sport, and manual selectable modes on the M3) transmissions and specifically on at least one other M3 ad. I believe the intent is to let those who may not know, (Mike?) that the M3 auto transmission is specifically designed with a manual shift mode. If you put it "manual" and leave the trans in "D" at the next stop, your car will be struggling to pull away from the stop in 5th gear. you will have to manually shift up and down through all gear changes, just no clutch pedal. For those who may not be aware, an automatic transmission really is nothing more than a manual transmission with multiple internal hydraulically actuated clutch packs and a torque converter to smooth things out. Yeah, there is a lot of plumbing in there to make it all happen, but still its a 2,3,4, 5 or 6 speed transmission with full auto shifting or manual "clutch-pedal-less shifting" I had a 72 VW beetle back in 75 that I think was called an "autostick" was actually a clever contraption and it worked really well. It was a 3 speed trans with a torque converter and a manually actuated clutch that was energized by an electro-mechanical mechanism when ever you put your hand on the shift lever. To shift, you would grab the shift lever which would disengage the clutch, and then shift it just like a standard Full manual shift-lever and to complete the shift process, you had to completely remove your hand from the shift lever which would once again engage the clutch. I worked very well, was very durable, handled the VWs horsepower to weight ratio nicely and it was REALLY fun to watch someone unfamiliar with the car try to drive it...now, that was definitely a "LOL" moment. Brian ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 11 Mar 2003 10:58:13 -0500 From: "Gaudio, Stefano" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] '95 M3 Engine Noise Geoff it seems strange that nobody mentioned this to you and maybe the sound that you describing is different but to me that's a very common sound. It's very common to the autoX crowd. My understanding is that it's just due to high Gs situations were the oil is all over the places but the bottom where the oil pump is getting from. I'm sure people on this list will be able to explain the details much better. The really simple fix is to make sure your engine oil is topped off (hopefully you are running synthetic) and usually an extra 1/2 quart helps too. I believe that there is a lightweight oil pan that came w the e36 m3 lightweight that you could install. However, I have seen people race 100k+ engines w the simple fix I mentioned before. If you notice the new e46 M3 has a dry sump system to avoid this problem. Stefano '98 M3 w no scary sounds yet... ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 11 Mar 2003 11:20:57 -0500 From: "Robinson, Lee" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: RE: [uuc] Automanual http://auto.howstuffworks.com/automatic-transmission.htm http://auto.howstuffworks.com/transmission.htm I'm pretty sure you can't just stick a torque converter on a manual transmission....They are 2 different animals...... Lee > -----Original Message----- > From: Brian Collins [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Tuesday, March 11, 2003 10:58 AM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: [uuc] Automanual > > For those who may not be aware, an automatic transmission > really is nothing > more than a manual transmission with multiple internal hydraulically > actuated clutch packs and a torque converter to smooth things > out. Yeah, > there is a lot of plumbing in there to make it all happen, > but still its a > 2,3,4, 5 or 6 speed transmission with full auto shifting or manual > "clutch-pedal-less shifting" > > Brian > ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 11 Mar 2003 11:19:51 -0500 From: "James Moran" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [uuc] Automanual There is a distinction to be made here: Manumatics (Automanual) where a torque converter is used. Like Chrysler's Autostick and Porsche/Audi's Tiptronic. Also, these types usually have a planetary gear train. Automatically actuated manuals where a clutch is actuated with hydraulics. Like Ferrari's MM F1 system and BMWs SMG. These types typically have a conventional main-shaft - lay-shaft configuration. The former is considered less sporting with delayed shift times and little or no engine braking but is smoother. The latter can have very fast shift times, rev-matched downshifting, but can be rough at part throttle. Jim Moran '88 M6 - ----- Original Message ----- From: "Brian Collins" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > For those who may not be aware, an automatic transmission really is nothing > more than a manual transmission with multiple internal hydraulically > actuated clutch packs and a torque converter to smooth things out. Yeah, > there is a lot of plumbing in there to make it all happen, but still its a > 2,3,4, 5 or 6 speed transmission with full auto shifting or manual > "clutch-pedal-less shifting" ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 11 Mar 2003 12:03:42 -0500 From: "Dave Kelley" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [uuc] Automanual HaHa... E36 M3's still have either a manual or an automatic... period! <G> Nobody wants the automatics except for their wives, even if you call it an "AutoManual"! <g> > Maybe Mike would have preferred Automanual to be Hyphenated? "Auto-manual"? > .....This concept has been around for quite a while, but many of you may not > be old enough to remember it. > > Actually, when placing an online local newspaper ad a few days prior, when > making the year make and model selections, the choices for 1995 BMW M3 > Transmissions were either manual or "Automanual" (with no LOL foot note), > so, I made the mental note that that must it be an accepted term as I have > now seen that reference 3 or 4 other times on similarly equipped selectable > mode (Economy, sport, and manual selectable modes on the M3) transmissions > and specifically on at least one other M3 ad. > > I believe the intent is to let those who may not know, (Mike?) that the M3 > auto transmission is specifically designed with a manual shift mode. If > you put it "manual" and leave the trans in "D" at the next stop, your car > will be struggling to pull away from the stop in 5th gear. you will have to > manually shift up and down through all gear changes, just no clutch pedal. > > For those who may not be aware, an automatic transmission really is nothing > more than a manual transmission with multiple internal hydraulically > actuated clutch packs and a torque converter to smooth things out. Yeah, > there is a lot of plumbing in there to make it all happen, but still its a > 2,3,4, 5 or 6 speed transmission with full auto shifting or manual > "clutch-pedal-less shifting" > > I had a 72 VW beetle back in 75 that I think was called an "autostick" was > actually a clever contraption and it worked really well. It was a 3 speed > trans with a torque converter and a manually actuated clutch that was > energized by an electro-mechanical mechanism when ever you put your hand on > the shift lever. To shift, you would grab the shift lever which would > disengage the clutch, and then shift it just like a standard Full manual > shift-lever and to complete the shift process, you had to completely remove > your hand from the shift lever which would once again engage the clutch. I > worked very well, was very durable, handled the VWs horsepower to weight > ratio nicely and it was REALLY fun to watch someone unfamiliar with the car > try to drive it...now, that was definitely a "LOL" moment. > > Brian > > ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 11 Mar 2003 12:05:28 -0500 From: ben keyes <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [uuc] '95 M3 Engine Noise "Gaudio, Stefano" wrote: > Geoff it seems strange that nobody mentioned this to you and maybe the sound > that you describing is different but to me that's a very common sound. > It's very common to the autoX crowd. you missed the part where he said : "Similar to a lifter tick, it is deeper in tone and the timing is consistent with RPM's. It sounds like it's coming from the lower front of the engine but we can't be absolutely sure." I suspect that if several very knowledegable people looked at/listened to the car they would have suggested he top off the engine oil a bit, but this isn't a 100% fix for the problem in some cases. I made the noise go away in my 3.2l with running 15-50 Mobil 1, as it continued to make the noise when running 5-30. he can try switching to a thicker oil (it's better for summer/track running anyway) and the problem might go away. > I believe that there is a lightweight oil pan that came w the e36 m3 > lightweight that you could install. very, very expensive & hard to find. I have been told by Turner Motorsports that the only time they have ever run any sort of specially baffled oil pan in their World Challenge cars - they're 2.5/2.8 rather than 3.0/3.2 but the basic engine is the same - is when their schedule had several roval tracks which would have subjected the cars to continous lateral g such that they could starve the pump. if Turner doesn't think they need it for their race cars it seems silly to worry about it for a track/street car. additionally, the fact that they don't even sell one seems to mean that it's either really difficult tojustify the cost to tool up to make them (which I soubt) and/or demand is too limited to justify the bother of having them around. > If you notice the new e46 M3 has a dry sump system to avoid this problem. huh ? when did the M3 get a dry sump system from the factory. I don't think you get dry-sump oiling in anything but exotics like Ferraris & such. it does have an oil cooler as stock, which the earlier 3.0/3.2l US engines don't have. the thing the S54 motor does have is solid lifters, so there is no way for the lifters to get starved of oil since they don't use oil in the same way the hydralic liftered engines do. Ben S52B32 US, S50B30 euro, S38B35 US - lifters galore :-) ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 11 Mar 2003 09:24:52 -0800 From: "JSN" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] <e34 535i> Symptoms of a partially obstructed catalytic converter? What sort of symptoms might one expect if the catalytic converter is failing and creating excessive backpressure? Is there any way (easy?) to test the converter and/or exhaust back pressure? Car's not sounding or driving as if there's a severe blockage (90 535i, 180k miles). Engine does seem to vibrate/"hammer" more than other M30's at higher RPMs. Higher RPMs = 3000+ under load. I'm wondering if a little too much back pressure might cause this. Valve settings all to spec. Catback exhaust (eberspracher) is new within 6 months. Problem exhibited prior to new exhaust. TIA, Jeff 90 535i ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 11 Mar 2003 12:27:23 -0500 From: "Money, Jack (J.J.)" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: RE: [uuc] Automanual <<I believe the intent is to let those who may not know, (Mike?) that the M3 auto transmission is specifically designed with a manual shift mode. If you put it "manual" and leave the trans in "D" at the next stop, your car will be struggling to pull away from the stop in 5th gear. you will have to manually shift up and down through all gear changes, just no clutch pedal.>> In actuality, an "automanual" or whatever name it has is merely an automatic transmission with electronics and a couple buttons to allow the user to shift it manually (ironically in opposition to it's title), it's not a manual trans. Will it shift automatically for you at redline or will it bounce off the rev limiter? Early automanuals would shift automatically for you...not sure if they still do that or not. <<For those who may not be aware, an automatic transmission really is nothing more than a manual transmission with multiple internal hydraulically actuated clutch packs and a torque converter to smooth things out. Yeah, there is a lot of plumbing in there to make it all happen, but still its a 2,3,4, 5 or 6 speed transmission with full auto shifting or manual "clutch-pedal-less shifting">> An automatic transmission shares nothing with a manual transmission except that they both have gears and shafts (and cases I guess), they are completely different. One huge factor of course is that an automatic has more operational losses than a manual, one of the needs for the torque converter. An automatic uses all that plumbing and fluid to make it function where as a manual trans merely uses the oil for lube....totally different. A paddle type shifter such as the SMG/SMGII or Ferrari F1 is completely different and is truly a manual transmission which is operated by electronics/hydraulics but the hydraulics have nothing to do with the internal lubrication/operation of the trans, it's a separate system completely. Bottom line is no matter how an automatic is labeled, it's still an automatic! Jack Money....drove the first model year Porsche Tiptronic...and it was like an automatic '89 325iX...manual '90 M3...manual #86 JP M3...manual www.elephantmotorsports.com ------------------------------ End of [uucdigest] V3 #6205 *************************** | | In memory of Michel Potheau - friend, enthusiast, founder of the BMW CCA. |________________________________________ | Please visit these UUC-approved BMW parts vendors/service providers: | (listed alphabetically) | | Autoscope-Motorsports - http://www.autoscope-motorsports.com | |==================================================== | | Koala MotorSport . BMW technical information, special tool sales/rental | http://www.koalamotorsport.com | |==================================================== | | Taylor BMW - http://www.taylorbmw.com - Doc Bimmer! | UUC Motorwerks . http://www.uucmotorwerks.com |__________________________________________
